Apparatus for separating fibers



Marh 25, 1969 c. ou L s ET AL 3,434,184

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBERS Filed March 1, 1967 jb 1, [N w BY ki l, WALM.

INVENTOR. I fludaefl J United States Patent M 3,434,184 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBERS Ctibor Doudlebsky, Ludvik Fajt, Frantisek Bucil, and

Stanislav Kahele, Usti nad Orlice, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzlrumny Ustav Bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlice, Czechoslovakia Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,862 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Mar. 4, 1966, 1,465/ 66 Int. Cl. D01b 1/20 US. Cl. 19--83 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for separating fibers which are thereupon fed into the spinning chamber of a ringless spinning machine. It comprises an electric motor whose cylindrical rotor carries fiber-separating projections and is surrounded by a stationary jacket. The jacket is provided with an inlet which accommodates the feed for 11nseparated fibers and with an outlet which conveys separated fibers to the spinning chamber.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to textile apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for separating fibers or similar staple materials which are supplied thereto in the form of a sliver or the like so that the separated fibers can be fed directly into a yarn forming device, for example, into the suction chamber of a continuous ringless spinning machine.

In a ringless spinning machine wherein the yarn is formed of fibers fed into a spinning chamber which is maintained at subatmospheric pressure and which actually draws fibers into its interior, the fibers must be supplied in separated condition, i.e., the spinning chamber must be preceded by an apparatus which can separate fibers supplied thereto in the form of a sliver so that the suction chamber will receive a continuous supply of separated fibers. Conventional separating apparatus normally comprise a rapidly revolving combing roller and a slowly rotating feed roller. The latter serves to supply the sliver or another fibrous formation into the range of teeth on the active surface of the combing roller. Thus, the separating apparatus requires two drives, one for the combing roller and the other for the feed roller. As a rule, the drive for the feed roller will be arrested in automatic response to yarn breakage or whenever the spinning chamber fails to discharge a continuous yarn to the take-up bobbin in the spinning machine. Since a textile plant usually comprises a very large number of closely adjacent spinning machines which are mounted on a common frame, space in such plants is at a premium and it is desirable to construct each individual machine, its fiber separating apparatus, and the feed for such apparatus in a way to insure that each assembly occupies little room. Furthermore, the drives for the combing and feed rollers must be readily accessible for the purposes of lubrication, inspection and/or replacement. Inaccessibility of drives excepting in response to dismantling will contribute to higher cost for labor and considerable losses in output.

Attempts to provide a common drive for a series of combing rollers have met with little success because the transmissions connecting a common prime mover with a series of combing rollers occupy too much room. Such transmissions normally include belt or chain drives. Furthermore, a belt drive interferes with proper mounting of the fiber separatini apparatus with reference to the spinning chamber. The combining rollers preferably 3,434,184 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 rotate about horizontal axes and, if the rotary parts of the transmissions turn about vertical axes, additional torque-transmitting devices are necessary to drive the combing rollers. All this contributes to the initial and maintenance cost of a fiber separating apparatus.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus for separating fibers prior to introduction of such fibers into the yarn forming zone and to construct and assemble the apparatus in such a way that the drive for the part which actually combs or separates the fibers does not interfere with the drive for the feed which supplies unseparated fibers into the combing zone.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fiber separating apparatus Whose combing or fiber separating component can be driven independently of similar components in other fiber separating apparatus, wherein the drive for such separating component occupies little room, and wherein certain parts of the feed and the parts of the actual fiber separating device can be combined into a rigid unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel prime mover for the fiber separating elements in an apparatus of the above outlined character.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a fiber separating apparatus which can be readily combined with presently known yarn forming devices and which occupies less room than all such conventional apparatus which are known to us at this time.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a fiber separating apparatus which requires little mainte nance, wherein the fiber separating and sliver feeding devices are readily accessible, and which can separate fibers in a continuous operation and at a rate required to supply separated fibers to the spinning chamber of a continuous ringless spinning machine.

Summary 0 the invention One feature of our invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for separating fibers, particularly for combing slivers of textile fibers. The apparatus comprises a motor having a cylindrical rotor provided with outwardly extending fiber-separating projections, a casing or housing accommodating the motor and including a sleeve-like jacket extending around the projections and defining with the rotor an arcuate separating channel, an inlet provided on the housing for admission of unseparated fibers into the channel and an outlet provided on the housing for evacuation of separated fibers from the channel including a roller or an analogous rotary mem ber driven by a separate prime mover and installed in the inlet.

The jacket is preferably integral with the inlet and outlet and the latter is preferably provided with a rloffing edge which promotes the evacuation of separated fibers from the channel. Such evacuation is further promo-ted by suction created in the spinning chamber of a ringless spinning machine wherein the fibers are converted into yarn and which receives separated fibers directly from the outlet.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved separating apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawmg.

Brief description of the drawing The single figure of the drawing is :a perspective view of a separating apparatus which embodies our invention,

certain component parts of the apparatus being partially broken away.

Description of the preferred embodiments The single figure shows an apparatus for separating textile fibers. This apparatus comprises an electric motor having a stator surrounded by a hollow cylindrical rotor 1. The rotor 1 is connected with two mirror symmetrical cages 2 (only one shown) rotatable on antifriction bearings 3 surrounding an axle 4 which is rigid with the stator 5. The axle 4 is fixedly secured to the bushes 6 of an outer housing or casing 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 41 is surrounded by a combing or separating ring or carrier 8 provided with outwardly extending projections 9 which come into actual engagement with and separate the fibers from each other. However, it is clear that the carrier 8 may form an integral part of the rotor 1 or that it may be assembled of several concentric annular sections. The projections 9 may resemble the teeth of a saw and may form part of a band or tape which is convoluted around the carrier 8. Alternatively, the projections 9 may form integral parts of the aforementioned annular sections.

The central portion of the housing 7 is constituted by a sleeve-like hollow cylindrical jacket 71 which surrounds the projections 9 and defines with the carrier 8 an annular channel 20 wherein the fibers are separated from each other by the action of projections 9. The lower portion of the jacket 71 is formed with a funnel-shaped inlet 72 which accommodates certain components of a feed including a relatively small rotary member or roller 11 serving to advance a continuous sliver 13 of interlaced unseparated fibers into the aforementioned channel 20, i.e., into the range of projections 9 which orbit about the axle 4. The roller 11 is mounted on a drive shaft 10 which receives motion from a separate prime mover, not shown. The top portion of the roller 11 is closely adjacent to the path of projections 9. The inlet 72 further accommodates a swingably mounted pressing member 12 which is rockable on a horizontal pivot 12a and serves to yieldably bias the sliver 13 against the periphery of the roller 11. The direction of rotation of the roller 11 is identical with that of the rotor 1. In the apparatus which is shown in the drawing, the rotor 1 is driven to rotate in a clockwise direction.

The upper portion of the jacket 71 is formed with a substantially tangential outlet 73 which defines a relatively wide passage of smail height for evacuation of separated fibers 14. The outlet 73 has a dofiing or stripping edge 74 which is preferably parallel to the axis of the rotor 1 and serves to direct separated fibers 14 into the passage defined by the outlet 73. The latter discharges into a yarn forming device 21, preferably a spinning chamber whose interior is maintained at subatmospheric pressure. Such yarn forming devices 21 are used in ringless spinning machines. The inlet 72 is located substantially diametrically opposite the outlet 73 with reference to the axis of the rotor 1.

The drawing further shows a cable 15 whose conductors connect the stator winding :16 with a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown. The cable 15 extends through one end of the axle 4.

In operation, the prime mover rotates the shaft 10 of the feed roller 11 at a speed which is less than the operating speed of the rotor 1. The circuit of the winding 116 is completed so that the rotor 1 rotates and the projections 9 of the carrier 8 comb the sliver 13 which is fed by the roller 11 through the inlet 72 and into the channel 20 between the carrier 8 and jacket 71. Separated fibers 14 are dotfed by the edge 74 and enter the passage of the outlet 73. Suction prevailing in the spinning chamber 21 is felt in the outlet 73 so that the fibers 14 are actually drawn into the spinning chamber. Such fibers are sucked onto a collecting surface of the spinning chamber 21 and are converted into a yarn in a manner not forming part of the present invention.

An important advantage of our apparatus is that it can be readily installed in an optimum position with reference to the spinning chamber 21. Moreover, the electric motor which drives the projections 9 occupies little room so that there remains ample space for the connection between the prime mover and the drive shaft 10 of the feed roller 11. Furthermore, the jacket 71 of the housing 7, the inlet 72, the outlet 73, and its stripping or dofling edge 74 may form an integral unit.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for separating fibers, particularly for combing slivers of coherent textile fibers, comprising a motor having a stator and a hollow cylindrical rotor encircling said stator, said rotor being provided with outwardly extending fiber separating projections; a casing accommodating said motor and including a jacket extending around said projections and defining with said rotor an arcuate separating channel, said casing further having an inlet for admission of unseparated fibers into said channel and an outlet for evacuation of separated fibers from said channel; and a feed for supplying unseparated fibers to said channel, including a rotary member installed in said inlet.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said jacket is integral with said inlet and said outlet.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary member is closely adjacent to the path of projections on said rotor.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed further comprises pressing means provided in said inlet for yieldably urging unseparated fibers against the periphery of said rotary member.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet defines a passage for evacuation of separated fibers substantially tangentially of said rotor.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet is provided with a dofiing edge for directing separated fibers from said channel into the interior of said outlet.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising ring-shaped carrier means surrounding said rotor and affixed thereto, said projections being provided on said carrier means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary member is arranged to rotate in the same direction as said rotor and wherein the axes of said rotary member and said rotor are parallel.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for creating suction in said outlet to thereby promote evacuation of separated fibers from said channel.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said inlet and said outlet are located substantially diametrically opposite each other with reference to the axis of said rotor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,210 6/1949 Abbott 57-100 3,095,687 7/1963 Beerli 57-400 DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 57--50 

